In my
opinion a great performance is something that not only has memorable
moments, but something that has so many of these that in one’s mind
they seamlessly flow into each other and you realize that what you
remember is almost the entire show.This is the part of the performance that lives on – the memory of it.Bangarra Dance Theatre’s performance Mathinna, is one such unforgettable performance.
Originally inspired by the Thomas Bock portrait of a young Aboriginal girl in a red dress, Bangarra’s Mathinna tells the true story of the short, confusing and tragic life of the portrait’s subject.Born
on Flinders Island in 1835, and adopted by Governor Sir John and Lady
Franklin, Mathinna was alienated from her indigenous culture and thrust
into Tasmania’s social aristocracy at an early age.Just
a few years after her adoption, Governor and Lady Franklin moved from
Tasmania, leaving Mathinna behind, and when she was twelve, she was
sent to the Queen’s Orphan School.Leaving the school at 16, Mathinna went to live at the Aboriginal settlement at Oyster Cove.By age 21, she was selling her body for alcohol, and one night when drunk, fell into the water and drowned.Wherever
she went she never fit in – she was an orphaned aboriginal with
aristocratic upbringing; denied her true culture and abandoned by the
culture she was forced into.
The opening moments of Bangarra’s Mathinna are inspired.Using a very thin spot, tightly focused on a rock downstage, the illusion is created of something much larger.The illusion is magnified when a single hand slowly moves over and caresses the rock.A lithe man ripples over the rock’s surface, coming to standing, looking like giant god of old.More lights are brought up on a suspended tree branch upstage.Three, tightly curled bundles hang beneath the branch, like bats sleeping.As
they unfold, the audience witnesses three men dance upside-down,
hanging by their ankles, with such controlled, precise and organic
movements that your jaw cannot help but drop.And this was just the beginning.
This
incredible opening scene was perhaps the most abstract out of this
rather literal performance, yet it was certainly not the only
breathtaking moment.What followed was a swirl of colour:
men dancing with spears, looms of red silk and frighteningly intense
hair braiding, a beautiful waltz in brightly coloured gowns, and a
tragic demise surrounded by liquid demons.
The choreography was varied and apt.While Stephen Page took on a literal representation of the story, he certainly did not limit the choreographic choices.Even
in scenes where the story is quite easy to read, such as where Mathinna
came from, his choreography still displayed a wide range of technique
and complexity, with multiple dance sequences being performed
simultaneously, and perfectly aligning with every nuance or spike in
the music.
Lighting
was used to great effect, not only in the opening scene, but also for
example in the nursery room scene: the lighting alluding to one side of
the stage where her aboriginal father waited, while at the same time
setting a sense of forced hospitability and false brightness to the
room.The set and props were relatively minimal but highly effective.All in all, great production value and intelligent direction.
Bangarra’s Mathinnais one of their best works yet.
Bangarra Dance Theatre Mathinna
Venue: Playhouse, QPAC Season: 29 May - 7 June Times: Wednesday – Saturday, 7.30pm; Saturday 7 June at 2pm. Tickets: $24.50 to $55 Bookings: 136 246 or qtix.com.au
The Hypocrite | Melbourne Theatre Company
Outstanding among the actors is Garry McDonald, who blasts on to the stage with a tempestuous energy, sweeping the play along in a torrent of words.
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